Enteric nervous system dysfunction as a driver of central nervous system disorders: The Forgotten brain in neurological disease

The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) is implicated in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Parkinson's disease and autism spectrum disorder.

• ENS functions autonomously while communicating with the central nervous system through the gut-brain axis.
• Dysfunction in the ENS is associated with disrupted neurotransmission, gut microbiota imbalance, and neuroinflammation, contributing to disease development.
• The gut-brain axis allows for communication that influences both gut health and neurological function.
• Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are linked to ENS dysregulation, affecting both systemic and central nervous system health.
• Emerging therapeutic strategies targeting ENS dysfunction include prebiotics, probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and vagus nerve stimulation.

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